


What's New, Pussycat?

by Humansunshine



Series: Pre-Canon Magnus Bane [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Cat Dad Magnus Bane, Fluff, Magnus Bane-centric, No Romance, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 21:05:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14387109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humansunshine/pseuds/Humansunshine
Summary: A stray kitten finds its way through Magnus' wards.





	What's New, Pussycat?

**Author's Note:**

> Anon prompted: Could you write a fic where a small kitten gets attached to Magnus and he falls in love it too and ends up adopting him.
> 
> This is set around 1900 in my head, and was the beginning of Magnus’ obsession with stray cats

Magnus groaned out loud as he felt his wards flex. Again. 

He’d been High Warlock of Brooklyn for a mere week, and already he was sick of it. He thought that it would be wonderful, helping out warlocks in need, making a real change in his community. But no. No, mostly it was resolving petty arguments and calming personal grudges and massaging egos. It was exhausting, was what it was. Magnus hadn’t been this tired in decades, not since he stuck his nose into the Civil War. 

His heart gave a sad little lurch at the thought of the war, of George, as he got up to answer the door. The wound was still fresh, the loss of him still tearing off a piece of Magnus’ heart every time he remembered it. Magnus tried to shake it off as he opened the door, eyebrows furrowing as he took in the empty hallway. 

A soft meow made him look down, and he quirked his eyebrow at the sight of a filthy grey kitten. It looked up at him for a moment before walking calmly past him, sniffing at the hem of his trousers briefly before moving deeper into the loft to explore. 

“Yes, of course, come right in.” Magnus muttered, watching as the kitten leapt up onto the back of the sofa. It turned to look at him, then, and meowed again. “Are you a warlock? How did you get through my wards?” 

The kitten leapt down onto the sofa cushions, and Magnus closed the door, frowning deeply. Only downworlders in need should have been able to get through his wards. He walked around to sit in his armchair, the kitten already making itself at home curled up on a pillow. Magnus huffed, and used his magic to check that the cat wasn’t actually a cursed warlock or vampire.

No. It was just a regular stray cat. 

“I must be slipping,” Magnus mused, crossing one leg over the other. “But if you’re going to make yourself comfortable like that, we need to at least clean you up. Are you hungry, I wonder?” He conjured a bowl of cat meat onto the floor, and the kitten scrambled down and tucked in. “So you haven’t eaten in a while, then…”

While the kitten was busy eating, Magnus conjured a little comb into his hand and started grooming it. It didn’t react much, at least not until the comb got caught on a tangle and the kitten meowed mournfully at Magnus before quickly turning its attention back to the food.

With a little help from his magic, Magnus soon had the kitten clean, and it rolled over onto its back once it finished its food, stretching out its clumsy little paws. Judging by the little nubs lining the kitten’s tummy, she was a little girl. Magnus cooed at her and scritched her chest, rolling his eyes as she started to bite and scratch at his fingers. Magnus hissed playfully at her, and she redoubled her efforts into killing Magnus’ hand.

“Luckily for you I have magic to protect me, or else your furry ass would be out on the street, punk.” Magnus smiled, booping the cat’s nose before straightening up to kneel. “Now, what shall we call you, hmm?”

Annoyed that Magnus had stopped fussing her, the cat meowed loudly, stretching her paws over her head. 

“How about Nibbles?” Magnus mused, grabbing one of her back feet and laughing as she attacked his hand again. “No, you’re not that cute. We need something fearsome. Something like… Mortie. Short for mortem. How’s that?” 

Mortie gave up on trying to kill Magnus’ hand, and started clambering up his arm instead to sit on his shoulder. Magnus craned his neck to look at the kitten as she sat there staring at his cat eyes. Mortie bumped her nose against Magnus’ cheek, making him chuckle and scratch between the feline’s ears.

“Alright, Mortie it is.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really liked writing Magnus by himself! I hope I get prompted to write more Magnus-centric stuff.


End file.
